ADA, Okla. – East Central University is celebrating the graduation of more than 300 students as the fall semester comes to an end. Amongst this semester’s graduating class, there are three students that will be leaving ECU with a unique experience- graduating together as a family.
Elijah and his younger brother Luke Woodward were homeschooled when their family moved from Texas to Fitzhugh, Okla. to run their own small business.
When they arrived in Oklahoma, Elijah was nearing completion of his homeschool education but was uncertain about his next steps.
Living near the ECU campus allowed them the opportunity to test the waters of higher education. So, when the opportunity provided itself, Elijah joined ECU as the first Tiger in his family.
Linda Woodward would soon join her son on campus as an employee in the winter of 2019. Luke followed as a concurrent student, eventually enrolling as a full-time Sophomore when he completed high school.
With both brothers enrolled in school and excelling in their classes and an array of prestigious internships, Linda found herself inspired by her sons and made the choice to return to college, as a first-generation student, and complete her degree.
Though Linda began her academic journey years earlier at a different university and Elijah mentioned that he never intended on staying at ECU long term, all three Woodward’s were drawn to the ECU community.
“One of the reasons I stayed was how well I was taken care of,” Elijah said when discussing the ECU faculty.
“His professors essentially became like his family and that’s what you get when you come to ECU,” Linda continued. “You get that feeling that they want you to succeed.”
Elijah is receiving his bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology while Luke is receiving his bachelor’s degree in Biology. Both brothers credit the assistance from the Biology Department for the community that it provided and the assistance that it offered throughout their time on campus, “We became engrained in the program.”
They are both also members of the ECU Honor’s Program and attributed their success to Dr. Steve Benton, the director of the program, for playing a pivotal role.
Luke remembers enrolling late, noting that he also wasn’t sure if ECU would be the right fit. However, when the time came and he chose to join his family on campus, he credits the university with helping him through the process so that he wouldn’t miss out on any scholarship or internship opportunities that could potentially make his journey easier.
By graduation, both brothers benefited from the scholarship and grant opportunities that ECU provided, as well as more than half a dozen internships between the two due to their tireless work ethic and their inspiring motivation to excel.
Linda, who is receiving her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, noted “We have a small business, so the hospitality management came into play with what we’re already doing.”
“When you’ve taken such a big break, it’s hard to start back up again,” Linda continued. “So just the class sizes, the level of encouragement from professors, they were all willing to help, and of course I have two brilliant sons, if I had any questions or didn’t understand something, they were also able to guide me in the right direction. That’s made it achievable."
Pictured left to right: Luke, Linda and Elijah Woodward